In my option, The Witch of Black Bird Pond is a fantastic and enjoyable book. The main reason I liked this book is because of the main character Kit Tyler. Kit is a refreshing and unique woman to the traditional women of her 16th century time. Other historical fiction books usually focus on typical problems and worries people in the 16th century would’ve faced. Not this author. While the author does stick to how people of the 16th century would’ve traditional acted, he uses Kit the source for them acting like this. Otherwise, everything the townspeople did would’ve been considered ‘normal’. By throwing Kit into the mix, modern readers will relate more to Kit and consider her to the ‘normal’ one among the townspeople. Kit is a character that I can relate to on a personal level. The author’s first clue that Kit would be considered ‘weird’ among the townspeople, is when she jumped off a boat and people found out she could swim. Kit’s confusion and then quick acceptance of it is quit amusing. The author does an amazing job of creating two other relatable characters, Hannah and Prudence. By having such relatable characters, the book is both easier to read and understand. Most historical fiction stick closely to history, without only a slight spin added. The characters of The Witch of Blackbird Pond, maybe from 16th century Connecticut; but they aren’t completely unreasonable. In other historical fiction books, 16th century people would have burnt Kit and Hannah at the stake the moment they suspected them of being witches. However, the author has the townspeople leave Hannah alone and even gave Kit a trial to defend herself against the charges of being a witch. The central message of the book is staying true to oneself, even while in a new environment. ( )

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is about a girl named Katherine Tyler who is 16 years old who came from the Barbados and move to Salem Massachusetts with her family.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is about a sixteen-year-old girl from Barbados that moves to Salem (Massachussets), because her grandfather lost his land, past away, and some fifty-year-old dude wants to marry her (ew!) and she has no say so in it. So, (without writing to her family that she's coming) Kit hops on a boat to where her only family members (uncle: Matthew, aunt: Rachel, cousin: Judith, and cousin: Mercy). So far not so good...with her nice red dress and floating in water ability, people start to think she might be....a "witch". After shocking her relatives, Kit has to get used to their schedule. To Kit it just isn't the same (not one bit) and she thinks it's going to be hard to try and fit in with all the other Puritans. But after meeting "the witch of Blackbird Pond" (Hannah Tupper is NOT a witch), she relizes she has some place to go to that makes her feel happy. Being accused of being a witch isn't all lollipops and rainbows, either. But luckly there's a light on the other side of the tunnel (she was innocent).

This book was very informative on what they did back then. And wow! I didn't know people were that cruel. It was kinda sily to think that just by pointing your finger at someone and calling them a witch, actually made them a witch. That's stupid. Even if you were accused of being a witch, there was a really slim chance of making it out alive! The tests-I mean trails they did to prove if you're a witch or not was just-really?! I would hate to be accused of being a witch.

That must of really been a way of saying, "Okay, okay. You are a witch, so we're gonna kill ya."

Poor Hannah, like she did anything wrong! Cut the little old lady some slack people. What did she ever do to you? Exactly! Nothing. And a lot of people in this book judge her and didn't even take the time to get to know her. But no, all they did was call her a witch. That's messed up. But, anyway! This book actually wasn't THAT boring, I must say. It really caught my attetion, during some parts of the book. And it also shows you, well it actually tells you what people back then did. They had to work hard to get a nice meal, or a blanket, or a roof over their heads. Elizabeth (author) did a really good job on putting al of the events together and making each character in the book unique. I enjoyed reading this book. ( )

Kit Tyler unexpectedly arrives at her aunt and uncle's doorstep and is unprepared for the new world which awaits her. Having been raised by her grandfather in Barbados she is unprepared for the religious intolerance and severity of the Puritan community. She is constantly astounding her aunt, uncle, and cousins with her dress, behavior, and ideas. She takes comfort in her secret friendship with the widow, Hannah Tupper, who has been expelled from Massachusetts because she is a Quaker and suspected of being a witch. When a deadly sickness strikes the village, Kit is accused of being a witch. Through these conflicts and experiences, Kit comes to know and accept herself. ( )

This story is about a girl who travels to the settlement of Connecticut to live with her aunt and uncle after her grandfather dies in Barbados. Kit Tyler is used to a privileged life on a plantation with slaves to do the work and freedom to do as she pleases all day. When she arrives in Connecticut she finds a life of hard work and little fun. She doesn’t seem to fit in very well and makes friends with an old Quaker woman that everyone in the town believes is a witch. Just when she thinks things might work out for her here she is eventually accused of witch craft herself. She is rescued by a friend she made on the ship ride over, the son of the Captain. She eventually realizes she is in love with him and ends up marrying him.

I LOVE this book! I loved the historic details and the language used. The struggles are understandable and it’s easy to visualize how this story could really happen.

1. This book could be used while studying colonization of America.
2. Could be used in a study of Newberry Award winning literature. ( )